


Romantic

by HeatherGiesbrecht



Category: The Night Manager (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Birds, Books, Budding Love, Complete, Cross-Generation Relationship, Dreams and Nightmares, Explicit Language, Humor, Libraries, M/M, Nighttime, Non-Canon Relationship, One Shot, Reading, Romance, Slash, Sleep, Sleepiness, Surprises, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-07 01:50:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6780400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeatherGiesbrecht/pseuds/HeatherGiesbrecht
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roper hadn’t thought Pine would hit the books since Pine seemed more of a hit the pool type.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Romantic

Moonlight fell on white tile as Roper entered the library to see Pine sprawled across the leather sofa. He hadn’t thought Pine would actually hit the books, Pine really seemed more of a pool type. Hmm, Pine the pool boy had quite a nice ring to it. Combine the big blue eyes with the subservience of six months ago and it’d be a hit...and not just with his dick either.

Pine stretched arching his back and groaning before he lay down again. “I should leave.”

“I’d strongly recommend it considering that Corky’s lurking again. You fall asleep and he’ll beat your arse black and blue. That boy has problems.” Roper walked over, sliding a hand along the sofa’s top to pluck the book out of Pine’s hands.

“Huh, don’t we all. I seem well-adjusted compared to him.”

“You’re well-adjusted compared to damn near anyone, much less Corky, Pine.” He flipped the book over to read it and chuckled. “Say, what’re you doing reading this romantic drivel for anyway ?”

“I don’t need to give myself more nightmares, I have enough as it is. I don’t care if it’s effeminate it, mm, helps.” Pine slid off the sofa and nearly did a face-plant. “Yep, I definitely need to catch up on sleep.”

Roper tucked the book under his arm before humouring the man and going to help him up. “You know my old man would’ve strapped you just for looking at that, never mind knowing where it was.”

“Lucky you’re not him then.”

They passed Corky, who was scowling like someone’d cut his bollocks off, and made their way out the side entrance onto the beach. Silence reigned but for the waves lapping and a gull. The gull which promptly started dive-bombing the shit out of them so that their former stately stroll turned into panicked running, flailing, falling, and decidedly unmanly screaming...on Pine’s part, it was completely Pine doing the screaming. Completely. The buggered bird only stopped its assault when Pine slammed the door to the cottage in its face.

“What...the fuck was that ?”

“Bird-shaped demon from Hell ?” Roper shook his head, smoothed his hair then checked on the book. No water damage, just a bunch of sand. He shook it out and squeezed past Pine to lay the book on the bedside table.

“Let’s go with that.” Pine burst out laughing. “But, seriously, what the fuck ?”

“Maybe Corky trained it ? He’s crazy enough to do that shit. Well, I suppose I should brave it before Jed wonders where I am.” As he doubled back Pine caught his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

Pine leaned in, his breathing slowing, a pause, doubt, hope, and doubt again in those pretty eyes before their lips met. It was tentative, a second only before Pine hurried away into his bedroom. “Uhm, ahem. Erm, just, uh, don’t get shat on, yeah ?”

“Yeah. I’ll get somebody to shoot that bloody thing in the morning. Goodnight, Pine, sleep tight.”

“Uh...you too ?”

Roper chuckled again and made his way to his and Jed’s bed without incident. In the morning he dimly recalled a dream about Pine smashing seagulls to bits with a pool net. Fuck his dreams were weird. Maybe Pine had the right idea and he should’ve read one of those stupid romance novels first. Ah well, there was always tonight.


End file.
